How to Write a Short Play Set Inside a Car

Plays can easily reach beyond theater walls. Performance art has been done on street corners. Shakespeare has been performed in the park. And plays are sometimes written for specific locations such as old houses or restaurants. But with the amount of time people spend in cars and other transportation, why not set a play there? If you'd like to try your hand at writing a play set within a car, here are a few steps to get you started.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Decide how many characters there will be. Remember that you will need room for the audience to sit, so you can't take up all the seats in the car. The audience won't want to stand outside peering through the windows for more than a few minutes. Having them inside the car with the characters allows them to be part of the action and feel connected with the space.
2. Decide what kind of car this play takes place in. Make this decision in conjunction with the amount of characters. If you need four characters, for example, then you might need a van or SUV. If you only need two, than any mid-sized car will do. Also, remember that the style, size, age and condition of the car will reflect on the personality of the characters.
3. Play with the intimacy of the space. There are moments you can explore in close quarters that you couldn't if the play was on stage. Use the intimacy to your advantage to create poignant moments not only between the characters, but also with the audience.
4. Think about where your audience might sit. Every seat in a car allows for a different vantage point and may change how each character is seen by each audience member. This might affect what actions you script for your characters.
5. Decide what role you want the outside environment to have on the play. When we go into a theater, we are closed off from the outside world, so it cannot affect what is going on on stage. In a car, however, there are windows and doors and it is probably not sound proof. How much do you want this world to affect the world within the car?

Tips & Warnings

• Write a group of plays with friends and produce them in a festival for a fun and unique night of theater.
• Do not perform the play while the car is moving. Plays have been produced in the past on public transportation vehicles with special permits and arrangements, but in those cases a qualified public transport worker has manned the controls. Plays taking place in smaller vehicles should be done with the car stationary, though there is nothing wrong with pretending like it's moving.

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